Monsters in Literature Essay - 925 Words

Monsters run free in epic poems of centuries far past; horrific, villainous creatures of fantasy who illustrate all that is bad in the world and stand for the tribulations the epic hero much overcome. The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is no different. Some are born of, and in turn give birth to legends, such as the fire-breathing dragon, while others are tied to the bible. In studies, Beowulfs monsters are explained and will continue to be analyzed as symbolic of countless different ideas. In relation to each other and the epics hero, the monsters of Beowulf represent the ever-present flaws of humanity and the monstrous feelings or behaviors that over take the mind in a moment of weakness, leading to eventual downfall. Like all monstrous†¦show more content†¦Unwelcome to join in with the people of Heorot in their merriment, Grendel haunts them in the night, taking all joy out of the pleasures he cant enjoy. As the men lounge â€Å"insensible to pain / and human sorrow† (119-20), Grendel creeps amongst them, creating havoc and leaving â€Å"butchered corpses† (125) in his wake. The character of Grendel shines light on the truth of jealousy; not only is it unwanted, but it is sudden and disastrous in its strike, â€Å"the shadow stalker, stealthy and swift† (702) appearing suddenly out of the night. Beowulf is able to defeat Grendel when others can not because he realizes how this jealousy must be faced. As swift and overpowering as jealously is, it can not overtaken by a quick strike of a word or a sword. Instead, Beowulf defeats Grendel by holding him tight and firm as â€Å"every bone in [the monsters] body / quailed and recoiled† (752-3), crushing the creatures destructive hand until his power weakens; thus likewise crushing and quelling the jealousy inside until it fades, rather than allowing it to grow within and overtake him. Without an arm and thus without the crushing hand of influence, the powerless Grendel retreats to die and fade away. Grendels Mother, then, appears as the face of vengefulness. This fault is not so common a powerful occurrence as guilt; emerging only when faced with grief and loss and the desire for retribution. Grendels Mother is described as having â€Å"scavenged and gone herShow MoreRelatedMonsters and Men in a Array of Literature 727 Words   |  3 Pages Monster and Men have been around for ample number of years. In addition to this, every circumstance they have been portrayed in literature of some sort varies from the author to the time period to the genre. Three indigenous pieces that differ from each other are obscure from the: Macbeth, Beowulf, and Frankenstein. All three writers published each for separate purposes. William Shakespeare Constructed Macbeth for the king and was hinting advice toward the king. 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